tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340813622011-11-08T14:18:51.144-06:00Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2670 mRem.Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.comBlogger8921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-86245932447236873262011-11-08T14:12:00.004-06:002011-11-08T14:18:51.176-06:00

Oh, man, this guy... Nightmare fuel, and perverted to boot.As a side note, how's that for Russian TV, eh? Bam! Mummified corpses right in the video.Edit: More data on exactly how he claims to have gotten this way.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-22711046192372405982011-10-22T17:19:00.002-05:002011-10-22T17:19:56.763-05:00

Okay but what? What head space do you need to be in to straight up name a kid "unwanted"?

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-66116520311350903722011-10-07T15:06:00.001-05:002011-10-07T15:08:39.254-05:00

Oh man, but this feels like cause for concern. Even if it's not doing anything, we definitely don't need someone knowing everything that transpires behind the helm of the drones.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-32743670176493305222011-10-03T16:02:00.002-05:002011-10-03T16:20:12.296-05:00

(pic coming soon)This was the kind donation of The Don and The Big D. The parents recently went on a pilgrimage of their own, hiking the mountains of Peru, and they brought back some of that famous Incan gold for me. Morbidly, this is also a gold you pour down your throat. Come to think of it, there are a bunch of connotations about gold liquid, obvious and obscure, and pretty much none of

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-92100021814353432412011-05-31T11:49:00.003-05:002011-05-31T11:51:42.865-05:00

Interesting but short article on four-letter words. It starts with dreary "what's the world coming to?" but then has some interesting info about what swearing does in your brain.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-36905566461740659712011-05-01T15:09:00.002-05:002011-05-03T01:50:07.520-05:00

This was the kind donation of Oldboy. Thanks!A while back a friend of mine pointed out a company that would make an energy drink for you. It seemed a good advertising scheme, especially for a nightclub or something: they could mix their own vodka-Red Bulls, for instance.The back of the can says this was produced by J&M Concepts LLC, who don't seem to have much of a web presence. What

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-58926206083593109542011-04-26T08:47:00.002-05:002011-04-26T08:49:22.249-05:00

Apparently we're near the 25th anniversary of the incident, so this was a headline on Yahoo today. Pics from Chernobyl. I've had that one with the painted girl reaching for the elevator button for a long time and never known where it came from.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-84513682780291710302011-04-25T07:22:00.005-05:002011-04-25T07:38:30.195-05:00

So, I came across this movie because it's by the same guy who did The Warriors. It purports to be a "rock and roll fable." Let's see, shall we?Fire Inc., Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young.As you might have guessed, this was written by the same guy who did all of Meatloaf's songs. Can you imagine what it must be like to be in that guy's head? Epic, unapologetically cheesy, and completely

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-89434886255164371532011-04-05T08:52:00.002-05:002011-04-05T08:54:51.356-05:00

Or, more specifically, this nightmare fuel scene. I had much the same reaction: "Maybe I don't need to be watching this right now, what with it being nightfall in a couple of hours." His musing on how the "WTF?" of the scene is the really scary part seems spot on. The whole sequence is just something not of this world.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-88679119658061417172011-03-11T11:05:00.000-06:002011-03-11T11:06:36.282-06:00

Images from the earthquake, tsunami, and aftermath in Japan.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-5533516312007664242011-03-08T14:25:00.001-06:002011-03-08T14:27:08.182-06:00

Interesting facts about Pac-Man. Kind of a clever way to make sure the ghosts are hard to avoid. And I had a good laugh about the grafitti thing. That was smart thinking.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-26883592075761176102011-02-25T13:34:00.001-06:002011-02-25T13:35:31.362-06:00

Oh, man. I get the feeling that this sort of thing is going to become more and more common.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-47753010843860544632011-02-24T22:28:00.001-06:002011-02-24T22:29:53.093-06:00

With the Desert Wars beta-test unfolding in North Africa, let's have a look at how to hire mercenaries.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-34480604985248819212011-02-22T11:20:00.001-06:002011-02-22T11:20:50.902-06:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2670 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-59823069681875236032011-02-17T11:20:00.003-06:002011-02-17T11:22:38.499-06:00

Including lighthouses. How very Russian. The abandonment and looting is pretty characteristic, too. I'm also digging the goofy English in the article.(also: GET OUT OF HERE STALKER)

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-30734205430992532872011-01-19T09:30:00.002-06:002011-01-19T09:33:14.189-06:00

Poe goes lonely on his birthday, again. It's kinda sad, but I've found as I get older that this sort of secrecy irritates me. I'm not sure if it's a reaction on my part to not being within the conspiracy or what, but the imposition of an in-group/out-group dynamic feels unjust and selfish.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-86434080973478461142011-01-15T15:13:00.002-06:002011-01-15T15:40:51.170-06:00

Pic coming soon.I blogged about this issue previously, so when I saw that a local store had some I figured I'd see what the fuss was about. Starting in Dec, 2010, the drink was reformulated without the energy components (caffeine, guarana, taurine) so it's not going to be the real deal, but whatever. What we've got here is Four Loko Watermelon. Probably the most striking thing about it right

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-35675960373555486962011-01-10T09:45:00.001-06:002011-01-10T09:45:59.385-06:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2644 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-31384166396883871832011-01-10T09:39:00.003-06:002011-01-10T09:44:12.247-06:00

It's cold and miserable around here, so something warm might be in order.Solid Sessions, Janeiro.Nobody can accuse this video of being too deep. It sort of just follows a young lady of certain physical talents around through tropical (and topical) scenery. It's definitely more about the music. Though, at least it's telling a story.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-38382434090559194532010-11-23T09:38:00.003-06:002010-11-23T09:41:22.902-06:00

The people who really do sentence others to "re-education through labor" are not people to glorify or emulate. Additionally, casual comparison to legitimate organizations cheapens the real suffering.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-35917033995928630022010-11-22T10:23:00.005-06:002010-11-22T15:32:18.200-06:00

I got on another historical mystery novel kick a while ago and along with the Roman era ones, I picked up Messenger of Athens. I should have read the blurb a bit closer, though, because it was actually set in modern Greece. It was nominally about a murder, but the mystery wasn't exactly solvable ahead of time. The reader definitely had to wait for the story to get there. The book is more

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-46051312237804176882010-11-17T09:32:00.003-06:002010-11-17T20:19:39.009-06:00

Apparently people had better stock up on Rockstar 21 while there's still time. Guess Canada is going to be the go-to place for this sort of thing again.I'm left wondering just how expansive the ban is and what form it takes. Is this going to stop bars from mixing vodka Red Bulls for you?Update: Come on! It's good to see that our president is making sure the important topics are taken care of.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-64120803284289508852010-11-16T14:56:00.003-06:002010-11-16T14:59:19.743-06:00

Apparently younger people have other ways of getting their fix.This is interesting in that it acknowledges that coffee just isn't as relevant anymore. It's not just energy drinks that are supplanting it, but other versions of coffee besides the average cup of joe. I'd imagine it's the sweeter taste that's the real draw. Black coffee might wake you up, but it's at least in part due to the

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-28789113010114820722010-11-10T11:36:00.002-06:002010-11-10T11:42:25.463-06:00

I don't know if I want this to be true or a damned lie. I mean, it's eastern European, so it can't be very good, right? Coupled with the matter of it being based on a game, it should be complete crap.Yet, my love for the original, Roadside Picnic, is so great that I can't help but be interested. Perhaps even to the point of being cautiously hopeful about the rumored movie.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-80290943616872136502010-11-10T09:14:00.002-06:002010-11-10T09:16:49.988-06:00

Codeslave put my numbers in a graph. Looks a little disheartening, but at least the spread is pretty gradual. Actually, I'd have expected a sharper curve there at the right.Many thanks to my loyal reader.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-72558842939234897092010-11-08T10:52:00.003-06:002010-11-08T10:54:26.694-06:00

Vermont Yankee can't catch a break. First it's possibly leaking tritium into the groundwater and now it's just plain leaking.Notice that now the state legislature is involved, due to relicensing. That's a big deal: relicensing takes years to file and process in the first place. If they think they're going to be able to continue operation in 2012, they'd better figure something out quick.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-46322434570132014732010-11-05T13:23:00.000-05:002010-11-05T13:24:01.208-05:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2601 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-2892027542021872432010-11-01T23:15:00.003-05:002010-11-01T23:28:22.903-05:00

Sometimes there's a really nice song, and the video with it is... not so great. Objectionable, even. These guys seem to be pretty good at that.Rise Against, Re-Education Through Labor.What a mess.The first time I saw this, I was expecting a joke ending, like Out of Control where the backpacks would explode into confetti or something. Silly me, huh? I was just left with an "you've got to be

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-19445475684417456902010-09-14T22:16:00.004-05:002010-09-15T08:59:34.878-05:00

Black Tide is a Blood Angels novel, but it's not particularly about them or their traditions and quirks. The protagonists, space marines sent to kill Fabius Bile, don't have a lot of the typical marine adventures of mowing down bad guys by the hundreds. Instead, it's more about the exploits of Fabius Bile himself.Bile is one of the old-time baddies, from the original betrayal by Horus. He's

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-21541614193281596992010-09-11T22:59:00.000-05:002010-09-11T23:00:10.742-05:00

Please don't forget those who died.Please don't forget who killed them.Please do your best to never let it happen again.Thank you.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-30445880342919629842010-09-05T15:17:00.002-05:002010-09-05T15:32:50.922-05:00

Oh, God, I just noticed that blogspot has easy-to-use statistic tracking now. Somewhat interesting, somewhat depressing.Slightly over 2000 lifetime views. Most of the traffic is from the US, naturally, accompanied by the usual suspects (Britain, Australia, Japan). A couple of oddities: South Korea, likely brought in by the attention I paid to the Whispering Corridors series (Voice Letter is

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-51050533977913066592010-08-31T08:12:00.000-05:002010-08-31T08:12:00.407-05:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2538 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-30699576626319365212010-08-30T08:01:00.003-05:002010-08-30T08:11:57.212-05:00

Far and away the most recurring nightmare I have is also the least easily explicable. This one crops up a lot, but lately seems mostly associated with a lack of sleep. It's almost reproducible in how it'll hit me when I'm sleep-deprived.The details change a little based on my surroundings. Where I used to live, it sometimes featured stairs (because the house had them) and now it's exclusively

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-78721387463912780062010-08-06T15:10:00.001-05:002010-08-06T15:10:34.623-05:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2498 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-25874002565426601052010-07-07T23:13:00.000-05:002010-07-07T23:13:00.422-05:00

Warning, this vid contains spoilers for FEAR 2.Even ghosts have... needs.Also, wrap it up.Seriously, WTF, FEAR2? WTF, man?

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-52296913917200463602010-07-05T15:36:00.003-05:002010-07-05T16:21:40.777-05:00

Soul Hunter is a somewhat interesting look at the bad guys in the WH40k setting. There's Traitor Legions, and then there's Traitor Legions, you see. Some of them went all "Chaos up in here!" and others just split. While the Imperium doesn't recognize the difference, it's kind of an important one. In this case, we're talking about the Night Lords, who basically just have a grudge against the

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-82360119691349537142010-07-05T15:34:00.000-05:002010-07-05T15:35:32.595-05:00

“Why is he shooting at us?”In reply, a grain of tungsten moving at supersonic speed blew a fist-sized divot of ornamental stone into powder centimeters from the speaker’s head. Whimpering, she pressed closer to her partner, trying to bury her face in his chest. He shielded her head with his hand instinctively, though it would hardly provide any more protection than her helmet already did.“We’re

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-86338242328631547662010-06-28T23:16:00.003-05:002010-06-28T23:31:23.945-05:00

The first thing The Goose said when she heard the intro to this was "is this from the '80's?" Humorously, the video makes it look as if that was the point.La Roux, Bulletproof.See what I mean? Sean Young called, she wants her Blade Runner shoulderpads back.This lady is also going to considerable lengths to appear unattractive. She looks better in this video, for instance.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-54788563422086031532010-06-24T15:33:00.001-05:002010-06-24T15:33:00.179-05:00

These were a kind donation by High-4, so thanks to him.Remember eating crayons as a kid? That weird, waxy taste? The thrill of eating something you weren't supposed to? The honor accorded by your peers as the "kid who eats crayons"? Yes? Well, hold onto that fond memory, because it's about to be defiled.Crayons sports drink appears to be marketed towards kids, which is a pretty questionable

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-81073347600986337772010-06-22T16:02:00.002-05:002010-07-03T23:34:52.188-05:00

Lovecraft Unbound is an anthology that purports to use the themes of Lovecraft's work without the peculiar writing style or overt Mythos references. Now, if it lived up to those stated goals completely, there'd be little point in attaching HPL's name to it other than for marketing purposes. You could just call it "weird fiction" or something, because, let's face it: that's what the genre is

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-51457027845539403362010-06-19T15:13:00.003-05:002010-06-22T21:17:29.819-05:00

Perhaps unsurprisingly, "nuclear" is a recurring theme in energy drinks. There's Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Waste Antidote, Atomic Dogg, A'tomic Pom and so on. It implies explosive energy, and just a little bit of danger, given the poor reputation of the term "nuclear." Blutonium is another example, though they're a bit more coy about the nomenclature. Interestingly, though they avoided direct

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-704480015970424342010-06-08T13:22:00.000-05:002010-06-08T13:23:12.131-05:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2434 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-72032144059427325442010-05-19T23:28:00.003-05:002010-05-19T23:56:50.505-05:00

Titanicus is another Abnett novel, this one dealing with the Titan legions. Titans are the 40k equivalent of mecha, and like everything else, they are ridiculously up-scaled, being more than a hundred feet tall (though this is never quite specified, of course). There isn't a wealth of fiction on them, possibly because they're not exactly big sellers for the tabletop. Funny how that works, eh?

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-67776408353918040742010-05-05T14:02:00.000-05:002010-05-05T14:03:20.789-05:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2412 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-47598547229426389172010-05-01T17:02:00.004-05:002010-05-02T00:55:21.493-05:00

It's generally acknowledged that Red Bull is the top of the heap when it comes to energy drinks. It's certainly priced that way, which isn't really a positive. The point stands, however, that you can find it in pretty much any gas station, supermarket, and probably more importantly, bar (where it makes vodka worth drinking). The taste is inoffensive (and widely copied) and it's got plenty of

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-68613612792307901822010-04-26T22:20:00.003-05:002010-04-26T22:21:22.332-05:00

I think this video will be more effective without any preface.Hot Chip, I Feel Better.Hot Chip - I Feel BetterUploaded by EMI_Music. - Explore more music videos.Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over.The crazy part is that the song is actually kinda good!

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-19441744372679390682010-04-26T22:12:00.001-05:002010-04-26T22:13:44.294-05:00

"Geth pursuit ships!"Tinny sound blared from the salvaged speakers, barely loud enough to overcome the noise of the gathered Reds squabbling over lookout duties and who was going to get the last pack of smokes. Several of the younger gang initiates clustered on the couch in the next room, eyes fixed on the vid screen, escaping the bleakness of the crumbling doss that was all they had to call

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-75418112285049730202010-04-25T13:10:00.000-05:002010-04-25T13:11:50.962-05:00

America, F- YEAH!

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-92158882861300416472010-04-19T21:40:00.001-05:002010-04-20T02:31:10.817-05:00

These guys got a tiny bit of radio play around here back when I was in college, probably coinciding with a show they did at a local club. I barely noticed them, and probably wouldn't have remembered it at all, except for this one line, a shouted, wistful "do you remember love?" Here's why I remembered it, which has nothing to do with the song now in question.Thus, I had a bit of a hard time

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-27113816400610373192010-04-19T04:10:00.004-05:002010-09-14T22:41:44.747-05:00

The manliest character background generator ever.A quote: "Child, when you laugh as you carve your way through the guts of the fetus of an unborn God, you must never show weakness in front of those who place their hope in you, this is the only path to greatness."Update: Aw, crap, the site is down. Hope you got a chance to see it before it went goodbye.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-87509483761333653722010-04-19T02:30:00.002-05:002010-04-19T02:39:24.225-05:00

I had a bad dream the other day. It was made far worse by its simplicity. Here it is:I jolted upright in bed, throwing off the covers and putting my feet on the floor before I was really even awake. I had heard, with distinct and horrible clarity, the front door open.The short ones always seem to have an added punch that the longer nightmares somehow lack. It's an immediacy of terror, rather

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-65964696782551611662010-04-19T02:29:00.000-05:002010-04-19T02:30:13.028-05:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2337 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-66225956664843482362010-04-12T09:24:00.002-05:002010-04-26T22:18:21.279-05:00

It's strange that I'm posting another car commercial here. Maybe car commercials just have better music?Shiny Toy Guns, Major Tom.The original is nice, too, of course. I think I like the female vocal better, however. Her voice just soars, triumphal and ethereal, on the chorus. The band is also just glam enough to pull off the song.I'm kind of curious about the specifics of this performance.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-13388784887765171502010-04-11T17:17:00.006-05:002010-04-11T21:12:16.496-05:00

First up we have Sons of Dorn, which is about three enemies who all get nabbed in the same recruitment sweep by Space Marines of the Imperial Fists. The book provides a little insight into how "scouts" (recruits who don't have all their implants yet) live (and die) in the Space Marines. The stuff depicted isn't quite universal, as the Imperial Fists have a number of notable quirks that

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-39018465702749040662010-04-11T15:20:00.004-05:002010-04-11T15:43:48.775-05:00

This is Xenergy, a drink so extreme, it sticks an "x" on the front even though the word doesn't need it. It's made by a company so extreme, it replaces "s" with "x" and throws in a "y" for good measure. Now that's extreme xtreme!These guys have some kind of advertising deal with the UFC, as you can see here(and is even more obvious if you watch UFC. Kinda hard to miss, there). Now, I'm not

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-55627239492510932402010-04-05T23:18:00.003-05:002010-04-06T00:35:19.723-05:00

I was on pilgrimage the last week, visiting my parents. This entailed some flying, and with the Gosling old enough to amuse herself for brief periods (and sit in her own seat which we had to pay for) I was able to actually sit and enjoy the flight. Enjoy is perhaps too strong a word, but the alternative is holding a shrieking, frantically struggling infant, and that's definitely not something

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-54726565090796235002010-03-25T15:54:00.001-05:002010-03-25T15:57:05.998-05:00

“Shepard, I was just waxing goddamn nostalgic.”The grizzled mercenary paused, arms folded as he leaned against the wall, eyes downcast. For a moment, it seemed as if he might not continue. Shepard surveyed the room silently as he waited, knowing Zaeed wouldn’t have stopped him without something to say.Movement on a small portable vid screen caught his eye. Leaning over the makeshift

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-41377719816159493042010-03-23T01:11:00.000-05:002010-03-23T01:12:14.902-05:00

“And miles to go before I sleep.”The shuttle rumbled and shook, buffeted as it left Horizon’s atmosphere. The rush of the airflow fell silent as it left the planet behind, and it was only then that what Shepard was saying to himself was audible.“Shepard?” asked Garrus, turning to look from the window of the shuttle. The uncaring face of the planet wasn’t much to look at anymore.The human said

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-58876937542360555942010-03-22T07:11:00.003-05:002010-03-22T07:24:45.664-05:00

It's come to my attention that someone out there thinks that this is the most gay and irritating music video ever. Well, they are wrong. Behold the face of horror.Caramell, Caramelldansen.Unfortunately, it is almost one of the most catchy songs ever. Hope you like that running through your head.This is actually kind of an internet phenomenon. Starting with this edit, it's been done for just

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-89456408716590966192010-03-21T11:21:00.002-05:002010-03-21T12:27:08.062-05:00

I wrote this back in college for a creative writing workshop class. It got somewhat of a confused reception (the previous thing they saw was Trouble Sleeping). A couple took it at face value as a sci-fi story. One guy commented that he thought it was going to be kind of Vonnegut-esque (the ultimate weapon being a half-drowned guy who can't even move) and then got the shock of his life when it

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-54822026718084778332010-03-21T11:17:00.001-05:002010-03-21T11:17:00.238-05:00

The lights in the cockpit darken from their soothing blue to a dark purple. The control boards glow with a ghoulish green light, ensuring I can still see what I’m doing, and the cockpit glass polarizes slightly to keep all the light inside. The entire fighter seems to vibrate noiselessly, shaking me up like a can of soda, then calming down.The display is blinking “Stealth emitters engaged.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-68167124910076224932010-03-20T22:31:00.003-05:002010-03-20T23:32:49.503-05:00

After the briefing, the first thing they do is suit me up. There’s a special suit I have to wear, one that helps to counter the extreme G-forces I’m going to face during the mission. It’s also padded very carefully, to muffle any noise I might possibly make shifting around. In the small of the back on the suit is a tiny package labeled “Medical.” If need be, the package will make certain I

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-84018349136563022572010-03-20T17:22:00.005-05:002010-03-20T22:29:33.900-05:00

It's been a while since I've done one of these, because I've been doing other things besides reading. Sorry for the delay. Also, Big D, I still haven't finished Magnifico. Maybe later this month.First up this time was Killing Monsters, a fascinating nonfiction book about why children need make-believe violence. I saw an ad for this on the internet somewhere and knew with a premise like that

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-4994280689247183812010-03-17T17:20:00.004-05:002010-03-17T22:59:34.350-05:00

“Bugs, dammit, bugs.”Jack tore at her bare left arm with ragged fingernails. Realizing what she was doing, she clenched her right fist as hard as she could, waiting for the spasm to pass. She could feel the damned non-existent bugs creeping under her skin, all their little legs high-stepping and marching up and down. It took all her will not to look at her arm. Looking might make them

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-75760835826226570092010-03-15T22:18:00.003-05:002010-03-15T22:54:11.797-05:00

I saw this lady sing on the New Year's broadcast, and thought she had a nice trancey tune, despite the best efforts of the DJ there shouting over the music. Her outfit was kind of unflattering, too.Again, not usually a fan of R&B, but this one is just a remix away from burning a nightclub to the ground.Keri Hilson, I Like.This lady is nice looking, but not actually a beauty. Which is sometimes

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-9737783819381711952010-03-14T01:34:00.002-06:002010-03-14T04:12:32.761-05:00

“We’re just going to let him go in there alone?”From the tone of Tali’s voice, one would think that Shepard was walking into a hole full of starving varren rather than a nightclub. Samara looked out from her hiding place, surprised to see the quarian approaching and trying to catch a glimpse of the commander through the closing doors of the Afterlife VIP room.“Is the transport secure?” she asked

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-19403089694525421452010-03-12T14:18:00.003-06:002010-03-14T04:13:02.103-05:00

“Ain’t back yet.”The Kodiak pilot lounged atop a metal crate, the stub of a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He took it in two stained fingertips, languidly regarding the remains. He pointedly didn’t look at Tali as she came into the shuttle bay. The copilot snatched the played-out butt from his colleague and dropped it into his coffee cup.“She’s got asthma or something,” the copilot

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-1071938484103945242010-03-11T15:59:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:13:15.010-05:00

“Shepard, what are you looking at?”Startled, Shepard turned the screen of his terminal slightly. He’d lost track of time and forgotten they’d made an appointment.“Just going through some old extranet messages,” he said evasively, rubbing a hand over his stubbled scalp. He felt a brief flare of annoyance that she’d been looking over his shoulder at the terminal, but let it go with little effort.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-67159610781898806562010-03-10T15:54:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:13:25.188-05:00

"We've all got our assignments, let's move out."Tali watched, her throat tight, as Shepard motioned to Samara and Grunt and took up position next to Jack at the immense door. Beyond lay seething death in the form of seeker swarms, and their goal, the heart of the Collector base. She understood the decision, Shepard needed to move quickly. The krogan and the justicar would tear through his foes

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-9177990738738241222010-03-09T15:47:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:13:33.895-05:00

“You never talk about yourself, Shepard.”He had almost been asleep. Stupid. He’d never lost the military habit of napping when he could, but wasting this moment on shut-eye was definitely a waste. It took a lot of effort not to spring upright in bed. Feeling tension begin to knot between his shoulder blades again, he forced himself to just crack open an eye and smile.“Do you need to get back

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-4360942147802574152010-03-08T22:30:00.002-06:002010-03-08T22:57:32.300-06:00

I was completely obsessed with this song for a while. I bought the CD single and thus had about seven versions of it; one for every mood. There was a vocoder one, an island-influenced one, a couple instrumental versions. The Goose got thoroughly sick of it all.It even showed up in gaming. I worked the lyrics one piece at a time into Mir's letters, so that it wasn't apparent what I was doing

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-38670215056426499972010-03-08T20:40:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:13:43.497-05:00

"Too quiet."The engine room was too quiet, but her voice breaking the emptiness wasn't an improvement. It wasn't just human-ship quiet, the stillness of impeccably-maintained and brand-new machines. If anything, the new Normandy was better than the old one in that respect because the core was louder; a belligerent thrum of power that shivered the entire engineering deck. Settled into the

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-80949642367025515542010-03-07T13:50:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:14:36.697-05:00

“Sensors detect approach. Craft designate Normandy SR-2, class fri-““Truncate registry report.”“Consensus.”The Normandy SR-2 was the Cerberus-built version of the Normandy SR-1, the craft under the nominal command of Shepard. Commander. Alliance. Human. Geth knew of him, and the detached mobile platform knew of him as well.Time was an uncertain thing. Though it took only nanocycles for full

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-37073630149581281632010-03-06T15:43:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:14:48.998-05:00

“This is unexpected.”“My apologies, sir, but…”“No need, Miranda.” The Illusive Man crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. The sun behind him roiled in its millennia-long death-agonies. “If there’s something beyond your reports that requires my direct attention, you would be the one to judge that.“Speaking of your reports, I’m pleased with the resolution of the quarian issue. I don’t

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-89592733738723682232010-03-05T19:24:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:14:57.923-05:00

"Garrus?""Hey, Tali," the turian acknowledged her without turning. He tapped at the main battery maintenance console in a desultory fashion. The hatch sealed with a hiss. Seconds passed.Garrus turned to look just as the quarian spoke up again. "Can we talk?""Well, I'm in the middle of some calibrations," Garrus shrugged slightly.Tali stepped forward, her omnitool flashing into activity.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-6947375593224041132010-03-04T17:18:00.001-06:002010-03-04T17:18:19.681-06:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2313 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-51123787740586048972010-03-04T17:08:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:15:07.647-05:00

“Are the seals secured?”“Sealed and away, commander,” confirmed the Kodiak’s pilot. The shuttle shivered as it jinked out of the Rayya’s docking bay and back into open space.“Good,” Shepard said with obvious relief, checking the telltales on the door seal once for himself before pulling off his hardsuit helmet. His face shone with sweat under the harsh white lights of the shuttle’s passenger

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-6153146844597875512010-03-03T20:56:00.001-06:002010-03-14T04:15:18.598-05:00

“All hands abandon ship.”The words were spoken with such calm precision that despite the static of the failing intercoms and the din of the Normandy shuddering under enemy fire, it was still unmistakable as Commander Shepard’s voice. Tali’s breath caught. What a terrible thing for a captain to have to say, to admit that his ship, his home couldn’t be saved! And to have said it with such

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-66798839686694323422010-03-03T15:12:00.004-06:002010-03-14T04:15:27.243-05:00

The following stories are cross-posted from their original location on the Bioware Social Network site. I am cross-posting here due to how Bioware manages blog entries: earlier entries can be pushed off the index and it is subsequently difficult to access them.---Let me first express my shame and self-loathing at being reduced to writing fan fiction. With that out of the way, let me at least

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-38756333360620962792010-03-03T13:27:00.000-06:002010-03-03T15:33:38.690-06:00

A couple months ago, 2BM made an offhand comment asking if I'd been writing anything lately. I made some kind of excuse, but that didn't really address the fact that the answer was shamefully, "no."Afterwards, I thought about issuing a writing challenge to him, agreeing to write the first chapter of a novel (or something) by a certain deadline, but decided against it for a few reasons. The

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-9110054624607907842010-03-01T13:24:00.004-06:002010-03-03T14:53:49.883-06:00

Sorry to jump on the bandwagon here, but I simply can't miss the chance to inflict this song on anyone who might not have heard it yet. Prepare to feel the gay.Erasure, Always.You guys have no idea just how thrilled I was to find out this song actually had a music video. And the content? C'est magnifique! Drama, conflict, monsters, and a true love that triumphs over adversity? It's enough to

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-86750308112554206842010-02-12T14:18:00.007-06:002010-02-13T15:08:24.396-06:00

So with the collapse of the Dark Heresy game (daemonhost) we started up a Rogue Trader game. I'm hoping this one will be somewhat sandbox with lots of player initiative. I'm realizing I will need to have some starting points prepared, though.The party we've got so far is Rogue Trader Victris Attilas, a xenophilic noble who'd earned his spurs through feuding with the enemies of his family. It

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-5970643411520661032010-02-09T14:09:00.001-06:002010-02-09T14:09:25.710-06:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2274 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-18142765563409996192010-02-08T22:13:00.005-06:002010-03-05T12:51:50.655-06:00

I never really thought I'd be featuring this artist here. I think her songs are crudely manipulative of her female audience and her vocals nothing short of sloppy. That said, it really, really works for this fan-made video.Tori Amos, Sorta Fairytale.It's a little tough to quantify exactly what about Tali is so attractive. Obviously there are elements of mystery and unavailability, but it's not

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-40885951808797886352010-02-08T09:24:00.008-06:002010-02-08T23:35:32.227-06:00

Mass Effect 2I've pretty much got to say something about this game, since it took over my life these last few weeks, but I'm kind of at a loss about where to start. Perhaps at the beginning?Mass Effect 1 was a game I considered merely "okay." The developers went from licensed settings (Star Wars, Forgotten Realms) to making their own world, which is not a bad choice from a purely business

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-41548921303867858332010-01-26T15:02:00.005-06:002010-01-26T23:59:58.926-06:00

First up was Mechanicum. I'm kind of interested in this facet of WH40K, because the Machine Cult is a little mysterious in most of the fiction. Part of it is obviously because the setting is so contradictory that the best way to act is to just sort of imply thing and avoid being conclusively wrong. On the other hand, since the Horus Heresy series is basically blowing the lid off of a lot of the

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-61609389820178643542010-01-19T11:33:00.002-06:002010-01-19T11:44:33.416-06:00

There's a family legend on my mom's side that somehow we're related to Edgar Allen Poe. It's actually come up at the last few visits we've made to see my grandparents, but never with any satisfying explanation. I don't have any problem with repeating legend, though.So I'm a little sad about this development: the guy who leaves flowers at Poe's grave every year didn't show this year.Then again,

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-46589200019793174432010-01-04T14:57:00.003-06:002010-01-04T15:15:19.693-06:00

The Goose and I were watching the ball drop on TV New Year's Eve and were treated to the spectacle of J.Lo singing that terrible Louboutins son gwhile dressed like Cousin Itt.She followed it up with something bearable (and removed the hair shirt), which is what I'm getting to here. However, she noted it had been 10 years (!!!) since the following song had come out.Jennifer Lopez, Waiting for

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-53360184082714742792010-01-03T11:29:00.001-06:002010-01-26T13:59:29.344-06:00

Hundreds, if not thousands, of books are translated from English to other languages each year. Conversely, very few make the jump in the other direction. You don't see a lot of non-English-language fiction make it through translation. A person could form a lot of theories about why this is, few of them flattering to Americans, but that's not really the point here. What I'm getting at is that if a

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-18502819683098628092009-12-28T06:44:00.003-06:002009-12-28T07:38:55.398-06:00

Thanks to 2BM for pointing this out to me. It's dance-tastic, just in time for the New Year.Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Heads Will Roll.Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will RollUploaded by UniversalMusicGroup. The first thing I thought when I saw the guy dancing was "Hey, it's Pickman's Dancer!" The background even appears cellar-like, which is important, since Lovecraft ghouls are subterranean. 2BM mentioned

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-59509120051443762722009-12-25T02:43:00.002-06:002009-12-25T02:55:37.296-06:00

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-80457374962249105972009-12-21T10:57:00.006-06:002010-01-04T15:17:35.287-06:00

So with Codeslave finally in attendance, we headed to the World's Fair where Wilcox had his hangar set up. There we're treated to our first view of the airship, tour guide services provided by Thomas Keller, one of Wilcox's aides. It's big, real big (2BM's off-the-cuff estimates put the total people on the ship at ~500, more if it's for passenger travel. That doesn't make sense, you carry fewer

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-81937005416439080202009-12-18T15:18:00.001-06:002009-12-18T15:18:59.173-06:00

Lifetime Dose Equivalent, Whole Body: 2222 mRem.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-45849196627970499142009-12-15T09:23:00.001-06:002009-12-15T09:25:03.546-06:00

Octopi using tools, building homes. Stars right soon?

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-53375184699415128492009-12-14T07:22:00.003-06:002009-12-14T07:23:50.785-06:00

No matter how important you think you are, you can always be replaced.

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-90975277771603176552009-12-14T03:50:00.002-06:002009-12-14T07:17:56.017-06:00

Ludo, Love Me Dead.Ludo - Love Me Dead Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup.I like vids like this. They made a pretty good effort at making it look like it was all one take (it's not, there are three pretty obvious cuts, two masked by people running in front of the camera), and it still looks like it was fiendishly difficult to block and choreograph.For all that the song describes the bad girl a

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-57320495503501922692009-12-13T15:11:00.004-06:002009-12-17T16:04:12.122-06:00

I've done a couple of canned coffee drinks on here already and as you might recall, none of them have turned out that good. It's not particularly their fault (except for you, Coca-Cola Blak. You're a blight on the face of this planet) it's just that I don't like coffee. But glutton for punishment and slave to caffeine that I am, I keep trying them.This stuff is from Monster's line of canned

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-7574508902800524912009-12-09T21:34:00.004-06:002009-12-13T15:38:35.533-06:00

Iron Company is in the same series as Reiksgard, detailing different armies in the WHF setting. This one is all about artillery and the occasional Renaissance-era mad-science creation that pops up. There’s only so much a person can write (or read) about cannons firing (or misfiring, as the case may be), so it’s nice this book has fairly deep characters. It’s kind of a “wash-up drunk comes back

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-57860418908952675512009-12-07T22:28:00.002-06:002009-12-07T22:36:11.366-06:00

So Walkabout passed away.He was a private guy and I guess that’s how he went. While he and I had our differences recently, and I hadn’t talked to him for a while, he was still hanging out with High-4 and Physics as far as I knew. The whole thing for me started last week with High-4 asking if I’d heard from Walkabout lately. I said no, and assumed that he hadn’t answered a recent e-mail because

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34081362.post-74725459362128269022009-11-21T15:02:00.005-06:002009-12-07T22:37:06.931-06:00

A while back I talked about The Affinity Bridge which claimed to be steampunk but was more like steamMissManners. Well, that book could learn a thing or two from Boneshaker. Set in Seattle, in a setting that could very well have been Deadlands (mad science, the Civil War dragging on to 1879), this one definitely took the “punk” bit to heart. Interestingly, it also contains nearly all the

Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17264859335143887899noreply@blogger.com0